Container-carrier device



Aug. 22, 1961 o. J. POUPITCH CONTAINER-CARRIER DEVICE Filed Feb. 6, 1958INVENTOR.

.DLSTH NCE FIFO/I 2,997,169 CONTAINER-CARRIER DEVICE Ougljesa JulesPoupitch, Itasca, 'Ill., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, 111.,a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 713,692 '3Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention is concerned generally with the artof carriers for containers such as cans, botles, and the like.

In my application Serial Number 642,081 filed February 25, 1957, for CanCarrier Device, now abandoned, I have set forth an improved carrier forcans and the like comprising an apertured sheet or web of resilientstrechable plastic material wherein cans or the like are insertedthrough the apertures in the sheet. The cans are of greater diameterthan the apertures and, accordingly, stretch the apertures and deformthe material adjacent the apertures into a frusto-conical shape wherebythe cans are aggressively retained against withdrawal in the directionopposite to that in which they have been inserted, but wherein the canscan be pushed all of the way through the sheet or web for relativelyeasy withdrawal.

This invention represents an improvement over the can carrier device setforth in my aforesaid application, and it is an object of this inventionto provide a can-carrier device wherein the cans or other containers aremore readily separated from the carrier.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide acontainer carrier which tenaciously retains cans or other containers,but which is readily severable to release the containers as desired.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein: 7

FIG. 1 is a plan view representing one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a form of the invention quite similar to thatof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view as taken along the line 1616 of FIG. 1for example, showing an improved form of handle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of the handle of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the strain pattern in a carrier; and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view through a carrier and can identifyingareas corresponding to the graph of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings in greater particularity, and first toFIG. 1, there will be seen a carrier designated generally by the numeral20g and, in many respects, similar to the carrier disclosed in myaforesaid application. More particularly, the carrier comprises a sheetor web of plastic material--polyethylene being a preferred examplehaving a plurality of apertures 22g therein. The web or sheet may bescalloped in the areas between adjacent apertures 22g in the intersts ofconserving material. The apertures 22g initially are of somewhat smallerdiameter than the cans 26g or the like with which the carrier is to beassociated. The sheet or web initially can be flat, or preferably ispreformed, to provide frustoconical sections 27g surrounding theapertures 22g, as in FIG. 6. When a can 26g or the like is insertedthrough one of the apertures 22g, the material of the web in thevicinity of the aperture is deflected in the direction of the insertionof the can into a frusto-conical shape or into a more pronouncedfnlsto-conical shape in the event that the carrier is performed. As willbe observed in FIG. 6, the material of the carrier then engages beneatheach can bead while aggressively gripping the body of the can below thebead. The gripping contact of the carrier with the can iscircumferentially continuous and is of measurable axial extent.

Accordingly, a can cannot readily be withdrawn in the opposite directionrelative to the direction of insertion. However, and as set forth in myprior application identified above, the can is capable of being pushedall of the way through the carrier in the direction of insertion and, inthis manner, can be pulled from the carrier without too much difiiculty.

In accordance with the present invention, improved means is provided forseparating the cans or other containers from the carrier. Moreparticularly, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier is perforatedalong lines indicated generally at 30g and 30h. The perforations do notmaterially weaken the device or carrier for ordinary handling.

It is to be noted that the perforations 30g spiral intoward theapertures from outside the frusto-conical sections (or the areas to bedeformed into such sections) into such sections. Thus, three tabs 72 areprovided between adjacent pairs of apertures, the tabs joining the mainportion of the carrier at sharp acute angles as indicated at 74. Theseacute angles provide the outside starting points for the perforations30g outside the frustoconical sections; the perforations end at 76within such sections. It will be apparent that once a tear has beenstarted into a stressed area, as by pulling or twisting one of the tabs72 (the perforated line 30g on either side of the tab can be torn to theexclusion of the other by properly pulling or twisting the tab), thetear will continue practically automatically through the area ofheaviest stress.

As will be seen with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the area innnediatelyadjacent the aperture 22g, as indicated at O, is the area of heavieststress. The stress falls off practically linearly, finally tapering tozero outside the frusto-conical area 27g as indicated at X.

A preferred form of handle 78 is shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. The handle78 comprises a strap 80 of plastic material having a pair of dependingsemi-cylindrical legs 82. The legs 82 have cylindrical lower portions 84with conical tips 86 and reversely oriented barbs 88. The legs projectthrough apertures 90 in the carrier, the conical tips and cylindricalends stretching the plastic thereof, %nd the barbs then lock beneath thecarrier as shown in A variation is shown in FIG. 2, similar numeralsagain being used, this time with the addition of the suffix h. This formof the invention is similar to that in FIG. 1 except that there is aseparate tab 72h for each perforation 30h, each perforation starting atan acute angle junction 74h outside the stressed area, terminatingwithin the stressed area at 76h. For the six pack illustrated, there aresix tabs and six perforations. As will be seen, two of the tabs are atone end, two at the other, and the remaining two along the oppositesides adjacent the center pair of apertures 22h.

In each form of the invention, the material sections adjacent theapertures are deformed to frusto-conical configuration while gripping acan or other container. The carrier thus aggressively grips eachcontainer along a circumferentially continuous line at the margin ofeach aperture and over a substantial axial distance. The tenacious gripof the carrier on each container thus insures against accidentalseparation of a container from the carrier. However, the perforationspermit the carrier to be torn readily when it is desired to remove acontainer therefrom. In this connection, it will be noted that theperforations most conveniently are formed in a stamping operation, butcould be molded.

The carrier is adapted to retain a variety of containers 27 such ascans, jars, or bottles, and may grip the containers at one end or atboth ends.

The specific examples of the invention as herein shown and described areto be understood as being illustrative only. Various changes instructure will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art and will beunderstood as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle for retaining a plurality of containers or the likehaving annular enlargements at one end in sideby-side substantiallyabutting and parallel relation; and comprising a substantiallyunsupported sheet of plastic material, said sheet of plastic materialbeing resilient, deformable, and elastic and having a plurality ofapertures therein, each of said apertures having a peripheral measurement less than the periphery of the corresponding containcr, thematerial at the edge of each aperture being circumferentially continuousand uninterrupted, the apertures in the sheet being intended forassociation with the containers whereby such containers can be insertedthrough said apertures from a given direction when the material adjacentsaid apertures is stressed and deformed to form circumferentiallycontinuous lips embracing said containers beneath said annularenlargements and resiliently gripping said containers, handle meansassociated with the sheet for lifting the receptacle, and said sheet ofplastic material being provided with a weakened line adjacent eachaperture with at least a portion thereof disposed outside of thecontainer-contacting area of the lips when in stretched position with acontainer inserted therethrough, and a tab connected to said portion ofeach weakened line.

2. A beverage or the like unit comprising a plurality of containershaving curvilinear cross sections and annular enlargements, and a sheetof substantially unsupported plastic material having a plurality ofcurvilinear apertures therein, said sheet of plastic material beingresilient, deformable and elastic, the material at the edge of eachaperture being circumferentially continuous and uninterrupted, theperipheral measurement of each aperture being less than that of thecorresponding containers whereby the containers, inserted axiallythrough said apertures, stretch and deform the material adjacent theapertures into the form of axially directed necks engaging saidcontainers below said enlargements and resiliently gripping thecontainers to resist withdrawal thereof with the containers dependingfrom the sheet of plastic material in side-by-side abutting relationwhereby to reinforce one another upon carrying of the unit, and saidsheet of plastic material being provided with a weakened line adjacenteach aperture with at least a portion thereof disposed outside of thestretched container-gripping necks, and a tab at the outer extremity ofeach weakened line.

3. A beverage or the like unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein theweakened lines start outside of the axially directed stretched necks andterminate within the said necks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,302,045 Neumann Nov. 17, 1942 2,379,934 Seiferth July 10, 19452,418,248 Denton Apr. 1, 1947 2,874,835 Poupitch Feb. 24, 1959 FOREIGNPATENTS 220,841 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1924 848,960 France May 21, 1952

